BEIJING, Feb. 28, 2025 -- A news report from China.org.cn on friendship between China and Cuba:
Recently, a Chinese vlogger known as "Missaya in Australia" released a video featuring an evening encounter with a Cuban elderly man who called her "Chinita" (Chinese girl), which touched the hearts of many Chinese netizens.
The elderly man who asked the vlogger to call him Tito, is a former Cuban pilot who studied in China. Due to the language barrier, his communication with the vlogger is a bit rusty yet warm—he fumbles while asking the vlogger to wait, carefully retrieves a meticulously repaired Chinese diploma and a yellowed notebook filled with Chinese characters, and repeatedly sketches the year 1961 on his hand for emphasis. These items hold cherished memories of his time in China.
The story of Tito's relationship with China has sparked a root-seeking craze online, with many young netizens excited to discover that connections existed between their elders and Tito at that time.
The Chinese Air Force has also acknowledged and confirmed the former pilot's recollections, having uncovered records from dusty archives documenting a young Tito and the significant era of mutual support between China and Cuba.
In 1960, Cuba officially established diplomatic relations with China, becoming the first Latin American country to do so. In September 1961, China welcomed 223 young Cubans, averaging under 20 years old, to learn aviation and aircraft maintenance skills. While generously sharing their knowledge and expertise, Chinese instructors did everything to make them feel at home, from diet and culture to teaching methods and interpersonal interactions. Records reflect their commitment: "The students are far from their homeland; the habits and climate are different here. We must create a warm and comfortable living environment for them..."
In February 1963, amid heightened tensions in Cuba, Tito and several associates applied to graduate early to consecrate themselves to the country's aviation sector. Due to their large numbers and advanced skills, these pilots, who had studied in China, were collectively nicknamed "Chinese" within the Cuban Air Force. This group of "Chinese" gradually became a mainstay of the Cuban Air Force.
"Please believe that the Chinese Air Force will not forget its old friends; we are confident that the friendship transcending time and space will always continue!" the Chinese Air Force responded in an online post.
Recently, Tito's story which has captured the attention of Chinese netizens took a new turn: the Chinese Embassy in Cuba invited Cuban veteran pilots who had previously studied in China, and their families, to celebrate the Lantern Festival, a traditional Chinese holiday. The gathering allowed these veterans to reminisce about their past experiences. They also enthusiastically sang a Chinese song together.
In "In Search of Lost Time," Marcel Proust wrote that a true reunion is a renewed meeting of souls. Over sixty years later, memories from Havana have reached Beijing, and the youth of a generation received echoes from the other side of the Pacific: even as our bodies age and find long journeys more challenging, our faith and spirit remain as they were, capable of reaching out across vast distances. Such is the romance of internationalist camaraderie.
China Mosaic
http://www.china.org.cn/video/node_7230027.htm
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